Mystery Tillandsia... Help ID please

[Mandrew968]

I found these at work, growing in a hole in some cap rock. I pulled them out for a remodel of the area and they don't look like any of the natives... This thing pups so utriculata is no. Fasciculata looks different in the leaflet-it's also bigger than fasciculata... Any information on these would be extremely helpful to me. Thanks in advance!

[Mandrew968]

Here's a few more shots...

[Gonzer]

Looks like T.fasciculata. They can be a very variable species down there.

[Mandrew968]

Thanks. So fasciculata can get pretty big?

[Mandrew968]

Gonzer, no hard feelings with getting this one wrong. It took me until this Friday to finally ID this puppy (and a little bit of help from the man, himself) but I finally know. Tillandsia subteres. Man it feels good to have an ID! 

[Gonzer]

Hell Man, none taken. Without flowers an identification of the large Tillandsias can be a crap-shoot.

But I gots to tell ya, T. subteres has channeled leaves of which I don't see any (could be the lighting) on your plants. Yours looks pretty smooth.

Here's a photo from FCBS

 

[Mandrew968]

I can get some more pics for you. This is an old thread and I have placed these all over the garden. The ones in full sun on a coral rock, look the best-they turned a nice maroon-silver and are really big. 

I originally thought they were Jalisco-monticola...

[Mandrew968]

These are a few pictures of the ones on the rock, in full sun. 

[Mandrew968]

I was given a suggestion of subteres and when I looked at the google photos, I was convinced. Gonzer still knows bromes way better than I wish I could, so if you say it's not, please school me.

[Gonzer]

See how the leaves are smooth on your plants?

Subteres is supposed to have vertical channeling on the underneath of the leaf surface, such as in the photo below. You can make out the lines on the leaf in the foreground on the right side of the inflorescence.

When your plants bloom identification will be easy. T. Jalisco-monticola is a good suggestion also. The plant's leaves look pretty damn stiff. We'll see. 

Edited May 1, 2017 by Gonzer

[Mandrew968]

The leaves are brittle and fleshy like harrisii. If you bend one, it breaks. 

I now see what you are saying about abaxial grooves/ridges running parallel to the leaf. Seems a miniscule feature, but I will certainly look for it tomorrow. Thanks for the help, as always!

[Mandrew968]

Yeah, there is a tactile keel that runs down the leaf. Again, not sure how important of a feature this is, but it is there...

[Mandrew968]

Gonzer, are we done with this thread? Meaning we got to the bottom of it...

[Gonzer]

For now Ed, let's wait for a bloom.

[Mandrew968]

Ok, not sure who Ed is, but we have a bloom! Never seen a yellow bloom like this-glad to have this thing in my collection, whatever it is! 

[Gonzer]

That my friend, is an excellent example of the yellow form of T. capitata. And yes, who the hell IS Ed?

[Mandrew968]

Well, thank you much, my friend! Case closed?

[Gonzer]

10 minutes ago, Mandrew968 said:

Well, thank you much, my friend! Case closed?

Not so fast my little buckaroo. Let's see some snaps when the purple flowers appear. It's a cool contrast, you'll dig it.